LA PLATA, Md. - The Charles County Commissioners have joined with the State's Attorney and Charles County Sheriff in an effort to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of staff through technology. The new program is called CourtDate and is a web-enabled application that tracks officer's scheduled court appearances. Officers, no matter where they are located, can see when they need to appear in court, even when they are on leave. CourtDate will also enable officers to determine whether a case has been moved to another date or canceled without ever going to the Courthouse.

"I am very excited about the three agencies working together to improve the quality of life for our Law Enforcement Officers," said County Commissioner President Wayne Cooper. "This is the first opportunity since the adoption of Resolution 2007-04 that a team effort has been used to develop technology to improve quality of life and save the taxpayers money. I am extremely pleased that the new Board of County Commissioners are forward thinkers and this is an example of what we can do when we work together."

Other agencies who will have access to the program include the Maryland State Police, Maryland State Police Chemists, the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the La Plata Police Department.

On Tuesday, April 24, 2007, during the Commissioners' press briefing at 4:00 p.m., State's Attorney Len Collins, Sheriff Rex Coffey, and the Charles County Department of Information Technology will preview the program.

Initial program training for users will be provided by the State's Attorney's Office and the Charles County Department of Information Technology.